Acoustical apparatus



June 30, 1953 P. T. RUSSELL 2,644,123

ACOUSTICAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. l, 1959 34 47 4B 4 :i 42 L 64 -MZSINVENTOR 'PHHJP RUSSELL ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED STATES2,644,123 ACoUsTIoAL APPARATUS! Philip T. Russell, Mount Rainier, Md.Application February 1, 1939, Serial No. 253,980

(Cl. S18-158) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

1 Claim.

This invention relates to acoustical apparatus and it has a particularrelation to apparatus adapted to be projected through the hull of a shipfor transmitting and receiving sound energy subaqueously.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of anapparatus of the character described which may quickly and easily berotated about a vertical axis in order to train the projecting andreceiving instrumentality in the direction in which the sound waves maybe propagated or received with the maximum intensity and to immediatelyarrest its movement when such point is reached.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel mechanismfor automatically stopping the rotation of the device when it movesthrough an angle of arc of predetermined magnitude so as to prevent theelectrical conductors which connect the projector and/or receiver withthe portion of the apparatus located within the ship from becomingtwisted or broken.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages thatmay be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consistsin the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed,with the understanding that the several necessary elements constitutingthe same may be varied in proportion and arrangement without departingfrom the nature and scope of the invention, as dened in the appendedclaim.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there is sh-ownin the accompanying drawing, means for carrying the invention intopractical use, without limiting the improvements in their usefulapplication to the particular construction, which, for the purpose ofexplanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

The single gure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of anacoustical apparatus constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Referring to the drawing, a device of any suitable type for transmittingand/ or receiving sound energy is indicated at I0. This device isadapted to be projected through the hull I of a vessel and may berotated in order to train the apparatus in the desired direction bymeans of a bevel gear II fixed to the inboard end thereof. The gear IIis driven by a bevel pinion I2 meshing therewith which is, in turn,driven by a direct sec. 266) current variable speed electric motor I3having a iield winding I4. The armature of the motor I3 is energized bydirect current supplied by a generator I5 through wires I6'and I1provided with fuses I8 and the field winding I4 of said motor isenergized by current supplied from the positive terminal of a source ofdirect current, through one blade I9 of a double pole switch 20, wires2I, 22 and 23, field winding I4 and wires 24 and 25 and blade 26 ofswitch 20 to the negative terminal of said source. The generator I5 isprovided with a field winding 21 which is en- PATENT OFFICE ergized atcertain times by current flowing in one direction and at other times vbycurrent iiowing in an opposite direction in a manner and for a purposepresently to be described, and is driven by any suitable prime moversuch as an electric motor 28 provided with a field winding 29. Thewinding 29 is energized by electric current which traverses a circuitfrom the positive terminal of the source through blade I9, wire 2I,field winding 29, wires 30 and 25 and blade 26 of switch 20 to thenegative terminal of source. The armature winding of the motor 28 isenergized by electric current which traverses a circuit from positiveterminal of source through blade I9 of switch 20, wires 2I and 3l,armature winding of motor 28, wires 32 and 25 and blade 26 of switch 20to the negative terminal of source.

The apparatus also includes a training control rheostat, indicatedgenerally at 33, by means of which the direction and speed of rotationof the projector I0 may be controlled. This rheostat comprises arotatable arm 34 provided with bridging contacts 35 and 36 at oppositeends, a pair of spaced inner segmental contacts 31 and 38, a pair ofspaced outer segmental contacts 39 and 43 and a pair of segmentalresistance elements 4I and 42. When the arm 34 is rotated in a clockwisedirection the contact 35 bridges the segmental contacts 38 and 40 andthe contact 36 bridges the segmental contact 31 and the resistanceelement 4I, On the other hand, when the arm 34 is rotated in acounter-clockwise direction, the contact 35 bridges the segmentalcontacts 31 and 39 and the contact 36 bridges the segmental contact 3Band the resistance element 42.

If, now that it is desired to rotate the projector and receiver I0 in aclockwise direction, the switch 20 is closed and the arm 34 of thetraining control rheostat 33 rotated clockwise as above described. Thiswill establish a circuit in one direction from the positive terminal ofthe source of current, through blade I9 of switch 20, wires 2l, 22 and43, contacts 44 and 45 of a first limit switch 46, the purpose of whichwill later be described, wire 41, contact segment 43 of training controlrheostat 33, contact 35, contact segment 38, Wire 48, field winding 21of generator I5, wire 49, contact segment 31, contact 36 and resistanceelement 4I of training control rheostat 33, Wires 50, 5I, 24 and 25, andblade 26 oi switch 20 to the negative terminal of the source.

The current flowing through the eld winding 21 in the directiondescribed causes current to be generated which will cause the motor I3to rotate in a certain direction. Assuming that under these conditions,the motor rotates in a clockwise direction, the projector I0 will berotated in a corresponding direction and at a speed determined by theamount of the resistance 4i included in the circuit. This rotarymovement of the projector I0 is `arrested when it has turned through apredetermined angle of arc so as to prevent the conductors therein frombecoming twisted or broken, by a device including a screw 52 which isrotatably mounted in a bracket 53 and driven by a bevel pinion 54 whichmeshes with the bevel gea-r I I. Threaded onto the screw 52 is a nut 55one of its Hat faces engaging the bracket 53 so as to prevent it fromturning. When the various elements are rotating in the directionassumed, the nut 55 will travel to the right, as viewed in the drawing,until it engages an arm 56 of the limit switch 46 opening the contactsi4-55 and interrupting the circuit just traced through the field winding27 of the generator I5. This will interrupt the supply of current to theneld winding 21 of the generator I5 which will cause the deenergizing ofthe armature winding of the motor I3 so that any further rotationthereof under its own momentum will cause it to function as a generatoritself and feed back current to the generator I5. This action of themotor i3 will meet with considerable opposition such las will quicklybring it to rest by this dynamic braking effect. This immediately stopsrotation of the members I8 and prevents twisting or breaking of theconductors leading to the projector I0.

When the nut 55 travels to the right, as above described, it moves outof engagement with an arm 51 of a second limit switch 58 in a reversingcircuit now to be described, permitting contacts 59 and 69 thereof to beclosed by a spring 6I. It will be understood that when the nut 55 is inany position except the two extremes of its travel, both of the limitswitches 46 and 58 will be closed but the circuits therethrough will becontrolled manually by the training control rheostat.

If it is desired to rotate the projector and receiver I in the reversedirection, the arm 34 will be turned in a counter-clockwise direction soas to interrupt the circuit just traced through the field winding 27 ofthe generator I5 Iand estab lishing another circuit therethrough in anopposite direction. Current in this circuit passes from the positiveterminal of its source, through blade I9 of switch 20, wires 2|, 22 and62, contacts 59 and 69 of limit switch 58 which are now closed, wire 63,contact segment 39, contact 35, and contact segment 37 of the trainingcontrol rheostat 33, wire 49, field winding 2l of generator l5, wire 48,segmental contact 38, contact 3B, and resistance element 42 of thetraining control rheostat 33, wires 84, 5I, 24 and 25 and blade 26 oiswitch 20 to the negative terminal of the source. The energizing of thefield winding 2l by current 110W- ing in the direction just describedcauses the generator i5 to excite the motor I3 in an opposite directionso as to rotate the pinion I2, gear I I and projector i9 in an oppositedirection. The operation of the limit switch 58 when the projector isthus turned is the same as that previously described in connection withthe limit switch 46. It will of course be understood that the projectorI0 may be stopped at any intermediate position by rotating the arm 34 ofthe training control rheostat to the neutral position shown in thedrawings in which the circuit through the field winding 2l of thegenerator I5 will be opened independently of the limit switches 46 and58 and dynamically brake the rotation of the parts in the mannerheretofore described.

1t will be understood that the above description and accompanyingdrawing comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of theinvention, and that various other changes in the construction,proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the nature and scope of the invention asdei-ined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/0r used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

An acoustical apparatus comprising a rotatable member extending throughthe hull of a vessel for transmitting and receiving sound energysubaqueously, electrical conductors connected directly to said member toeliminate transient sounds, training gearing for rotating said memberincluding a bevel gear, a direct current reversible motor, meansconnecting said motor to said training gearing for driving said traininggearing and rotatable member, a generator including a eld winding, saidgenerator having connections for supplying reversible electric power tosaid motor, means for driving said generator, a pair of circuits eachincluding said iield winding, a training control switch for controllingthe speed of said motor, said training control switch having a centraldeenergized position and being movable to one side thereof forconnecting said circuits to a pair of poles of a source of directcurrent and to said field winding, and movable to the other side thereofto connect said poles in reverse to said rleld winding, limit meanscomprising a reciprocable travelling member and a bevel pinion formoving said travelling member, said bevel pinion engaging said bevelgear, a 'biased limit switch at opposite sides of said travellingmember, each limit switch having a normal position and operable fromsaid normal position by said travelling member when said travellingmember is at a limit position, each of said limit switches returning tonormal position when said travelling memberl leaves said limit position,said limit switches being in said circuits, said circuits beingconnected so that said training switch solely controls said fieldwinding in all positions of said travelling member, except its limitpositions, to move said motor in either direction by selected amounts atany time, said circuits being connected whereby whenever said eldwinding is deenergized electric power will then flow from said motor tosaid generator to effect dynamic braking in said motor to immediatelyarrest the rotation of said motor and said member at the desired pointand to prevent said electrical conductors leading to said member frombecoming twisted and broken.

PHILIP T. RUSSELL.

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